AOC surges past Buttigieg, leaves Harris in the dust in key 2028 battleground poll

By Fox News · Fox News

Progressive firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has surged to the front of the prospective 2028 Democratic presidential field in New Hampshire, edging Pete Buttigieg and leaving Kamala Harris far behind in a new poll. Ocasio-Cortez drew 22% support among likely Democratic primary voters in the University of New Hampshire Granite State Poll released Wednesday, one point ahead of former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and 17 points ahead of former Vice President Kamala Harris . Ocasio-Cortez gained seven points since the February survey, while Harris and California Gov. Gavin Newsom lost ground — another sign of the New York lawmaker’s growing strength among Democratic voters in the early presidential battleground. MIDTERM BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE: CHECK OUT THE FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS Ocasio-Cortez has been coy about her 2028 plans and careful not to rule out either a White House run in the race to succeed term-limited President Donald Trump , or a bid for the Senate against longtime Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, who is up for re-election in two years. When asked about a run for higher office, Ocasio-Cortez recently said her goal is to "change the country." Buttigieg, a moderate who as the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana came in second in the 2020 New Hampshire presidential primary, has crisscrossed the country in support of fellow Democrats the past year as speculation builds around a possible 2028 run. "Nearly half of socialists and one-third of progressives support Ocasio-Cortez, while pluralities of liberals and moderates support Buttigieg," Andrew Smith, the director of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, said. KAMALA HARRIS' TRAVELS AND COMMENTS CLEARLY POINT TO A 2028 RUN Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona , a retired astronaut, stood in third place in the poll, at nine percent, with term-limited Newsom a point back. Newsom's support dropped seven points since the February survey. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the 2016 and…